Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Jarvis Tomdio. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Jarvis, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.

7 years ago, I took a leap of faith that altered the course of my life. I was in my first semester of college at the University of Tampa, on a partial academic scholarship. The semester was going well – I was making new friends, coasting along in my classes, and enjoying the Florida weather. But there was one problem – I was restless. School had always been easy for me, so there wasn’t any real challenge there. My major was Cybersecurity, which I didn’t care about at all, but I knew it paid well. I wasn’t playing organized basketball anymore either – as I had done throughout high school – so there wasn’t anything at college that really excited me. But, there was one thing that I thought about every single day – acting. I had done a play my junior year of high school (a dinner theater murder mystery) and caught the insatiable acting bug. All throughout my senior year of high school, I debated going to school for the arts, or going the more practical and “safe” route. In the end, the practical route won and I arrived in Tampa August of 2015, expecting to be there for the next 4 years. But the acting bug had other plans for me. Somehow, my desire to act was growing even stronger, and I would often find myself “acting” in the mirror of my dorm room. I started looking into Tampa’s acting program, as well as programs in NYC, with the idea that I’d transfer after a year or two. Then, one day while on facetime with my closest childhood friend (who had moved to NYC after we graduated high school in June), he told me he was about to get his own apartment, and offered to split it with me – if I wanted to come up then, instead of waiting a year or two. And that was it. I didn’t hesitate, didn’t make a plan, didn’t ask anyone for guidance – I knew that was what I wanted to do. I called my mom and told her what I was about to do, much to her surprise and dubiousness. Then I visited my counselor, who asked several times if I was sure this was what I wanted to do before unregistering me from the school. Everyone I told was shocked. New friends were sad to see me go, but happy I was following my heart, and hopeful for my success. I arrived in NYC a month later, December 17, 2015. I knew no one other than the person I lived with. I knew nothing about the city or about the industry I wanted to break into. But just like the first leap that landed me in NYC, I jumped and jumped and jumped again. And I found my way. It would be a full novel if I wrote about the experiences that got me to this very moment, so I’ll briefly summarize instead. I’ve worked more side jobs than I care to count, been rejected more times than I care to count, and wondered when breakthroughs would happen for me, for more hours than I care to know. But by the grace of God, it has always worked out in my favor in the end. The acting bug is still very much alive in me, except now, I am a full time professional actor – who makes a living doing what I couldn’t stop thinking about all those years ago. And now, instead of my dorm room mirror, I act on sets and on stages in the city I used to dream about. I’ve done national commercials, been on major TV shows, and shared the stage with many brilliant artists. I am part of a community that I am constantly in awe of, a community filled with the new generation of TV, film, and stage stars. The journey hasn’t been easy, but I am grateful for every part of it. The risk was certainly worth the reward.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I’m a first generation Cameroonian-American, originally from the DMV. I am a professional actor of TV/film/stage. I’m in love with the art of storytelling, and am constantly working to improve my craft. Stories relating to those of the African diaspora are the stories I’m most interested in telling, and I am grateful that I have had the opportunity to immerse myself in such stories. The main thing I desire to do in my work, is affect people through the exploration of the humanity of the characters I play. There is no greater feeling than telling a story about my people, and having someone who looks like me say that they were able to see themselves. I hope that when people consider my work, they can clearly remember how it made them feel. That is what I strive for, and if I am able to achieve that in my career over and over again, then I would be most proud.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

I believe that there is a higher calling for artists/creatives. Answering that call is a journey like no other. There is a great freedom in creating, and to be able to find that freedom for yourself – and inspire others to do the same for themselves – is truly divine. To see a vision through to completion and then share that with the world. To search the depths of your soul for truth, find it, and share that with the world. That’s the most rewarding part of being a creative… You commune with God.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

FUND THEM!!! It’s not cheap or easy to create. Give artists the resources necessary to create, and create freely. Too many people try and use artists for cheap labor, and attempt to justify it by undermining the value of the art. I think there should be more protections in place when it comes to artist pay as well. Too often, artists do work and then wait months to receive payment for their services – or they don’t get paid at all. I’ve experienced this myself several times. I don’t know why people think it’s okay to shortchange artists, especially when they benefit off of the artist’s labor, but I think that’s what society could improve upon to support all creatives as a whole. Honor their labor. Make stricter laws and regulations regarding artist pay. Part of the problem is people think/know they can get away with it without any repercussions.

Contact Info:

• Website: jarvistomdio.com
• Instagram: jtomdio

Image Credits
Black & white photos: Chad Wagner & Steven Trumon Gray Black leather jacket photo: Josiah Kelevra